The present invention relates to containers, and in particular to knock-down containers which can be assembled from interlocking panels.
Knock-down containers which can be easily assembled from interlocking panels are useful in the shipping and storing of goods. In situations in which the shipping container is intended to be returned to the shipper, it is particularly desirable to be able to disassemble the shipping box into a compact form for its return. Further, in the storing of goods, inventory fluctuations may make it desirable to employ storage boxes which can be disassembled and stored in a minimum space.
Ideally, knock-down containers of this type should incorporate the following features:
The side panels and bottom member of the container should be lightweight, yet the construction of the assembled container be such that the container can withstand considerable outwardly-directed force from the weight of the contained goods. This feature permits relatively heavy loads to be shipped in relatively lightweight and inexpensive containers.
The container construction should also permit vertical stacking of mulltiple containers, preferably by a fork lift.
The four sides of the container should be supported by, but not interlocked with, the bottom member. This feature facilitates assembly and disassembly of the box. Specifically, the problem of one man attempting to simultaneously interlock two large side panels with a bottom member is avoided.
The box should also be assemblable and disassemblable without the use of special tools, or hardware, or strapping.
Finally, the disassembled container should form a compact and easily shipped item.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a knock-down container incorporating the above-described advantageous features.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a knock-down container having lightweight panels having an interlock construction which serves to reinforce the sides of the assembled container against an outwardly-directed force.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a container in which the interlocked side walls are supported by a bottom pallet. This pallet and the supported panels are designed to be lifted by a conventional forklift truck or the like.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a knock-down container which is compact in its disassembled form.
The present invention comprises four interlocking side panels and a pallet designed to support the interlocked panels. The interlocked side panels form a four-sided enclosure in which the side end regions of each panel extend beyond the outwardly-facing surfaces of adjacent side panels. Elongate strips or cleats attached to the inwardly-facing surfaces of the side end regions abut the outwardly-facing surfaces of adjacent interlocked panels to brace the adjacent panels against an outwardly-directed force. The pallet provides a base supported on a plurality of skids which extend outwardly from two opposite edges of the base. In the assembled container, the lower edges of two opposite side panels are supported by the skids, the two panels so supported being dimensioned so that the upper edges of the assembled container are substantially coplanar.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will now be described with reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawings.